Postman
The Postman is a recurring character in the ''Legend of Zelda'' series. As his name may suggest, the Postman is employed by the postal service, utilizing his lightning-quick speed to retrieve and deliver letters. The Postman takes his job very seriously and always tries his hardest to follow his schedule. Because of this, the Postman can ill afford to speak with any passers-by, lest he fall behind on his schedule. The postman frequently sports a symbol representing a bunny, an obvious throwback to the Running Man, a similar character from Ocarina of Time whose main role in the game is to buy the Bunny Hood. The Postman is noted for being one of the first regular characters with a voice-over, however minimal; when talked to, he exerts a "ya". In The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, he sometimes hums the famous "item found" musical cues upon presenting Link with a letter (other times he only hums a simple fanfare). Appearances The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask The Postman does his rounds every day in Clock Town, the Post Office being located in West Clock Town. His supervisor is Mayor Dotour. He is very adamant about his work and always manages to maintain his schedule. As the Moon approaches to crush Termina, his pace quickens. He wears a traditional red postman hat, red sack, a white, sleeveless t-shirt, shorts, and brown sandals. He plays a small role in certain side quests in the game. During the Kafei/Anju quest, Link must mail a letter from Anju to Kafei. By following the Postman when he makes the delivery, Link ascertains Kafei's location. On the Final Day Link can give the Postman Kafei's Letter to Mama. The Postman wants to flee and escape the impending disaster, and is enthused to know that he can deliver the letter. He delivers the letter to Kafei's mother Madame Aroma, who is sitting in the Milk Bar. Madame Aroma is surprised to see that the Postman has not fled yet, and orders him to do so. After exiting the Milk Bar, he gives Link his Postman's Hat and flees Clock Town. Link can also play the Mental Training mini-game with the Postman, where Link must press the "A" button at exactly ten seconds; a simulation of how a Postman must time his route to the dot in order to maintain his schedule. The Bunny Hood or the clock in the background can be used in order to make completion of this mini-game easier. If Link presses the button at exactly ten seconds, the Postman gives him a Piece of Heart, and also comments that Link would be an ideal postman. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages The Postman works in the Post Office in Lynna City in Labrynna. He is Lynna City's only post official; however, he often fails to deliver on time due to the fact that he has no clock. Link can give him the Poe Clock to help him, prompting him to rush out to deliver letters. He leaves behind a piece of Stationery. This is part of the quest for the Noble Sword. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap The Postman constantly runs around Hyrule Town making deliveries, occasionally leaving the area. Link can fuse Kinstones with him to in order to give Stamp the idea about writing and editing a newsletter together with the town's sword master, Swiftblade. Interestingly, at one point, the Postman refers to himself as "your amazing neighborhood postman", a reference to the the self-appointed nickname of Spider-Man ("your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man"), a Marvel Comics character, also occasionally referred to as the "Amazing Spider-Man". Additionally, he makes what is possibly a reference to the play The Iceman Cometh. Interestingly, if Link stands in the postman's way he will jump over Link. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess The Postman is first seen running away from Kakariko Village across Hyrule Field when the Eldin Province is covered in Twilight. After Link dispels the Twilight from the area, the Postman occasionally appears and delivers Link letters. He can be seen off-duty in various locations later on, including Telma's Bar, the Elde Inn, the barn on Ordon Ranch, and in the Throne Room of Zora's Domain. Oddly, he can also be seen at the bottom of the Cave of Ordeals on Link's second play through of the mini-dungeon. Oddly, he recognizes Link even in the shape of Wolf Link, although Link quickly transforms back to his Hylian form whenever the Postman shouts his name. Below the bunny, it is written "Postman" in new Hylian. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass The Postman appears whenever Link receives mail from either another character or the unknown service that replies to Prize Postcards. He wears a red hat, and flies over the sea with a winged backpack. He is seen constantly grinning with oversized front teeth, and has slanted eyes; this could also be interpreted as the face of a rabbit, the traditional symbol of postmen in the Legend of Zelda series. The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks The Postman appears whenever Link approaches a wiggling postbox. He looks similar to the postman in Phantom Hourglass, but has no wings. He claims people find it rude reading their mail out loud and is disappointed that he is now only allowed to hand letters to people. To cope with this, he seems to have a tendency to ramble on about anything related to the letter he is handing to Link. While giving mail to Link, he moves his arms and legs in a rotund motion, a possible reference to trains, which are key in Spirit Tracks's plot. Similar characters The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time There is a man similar to the postman running around Hyrule Field, trying to emulate an extinct race of rabbits that once populated the land. Link can sell him the Bunny Hood lent to him by the Happy Mask Salesman for as many Rupees as Link's current Wallet can carry. When returning with the money for the mask, Link only has to give the Happy Mask Salesman fifty Rupees, producing a large profit for Link, the bigger his wallet is. Seven years later, the man can be found in a tent in Gerudo Valley, living with the Carpenters of Kakariko Village. He mentions having used the previous seven years to hone his running skills, and challenges Link to a race. If Link accepts, the two will race to the bridge in Kokiri Forest. An interesting twist is that Link can never win the race (even with the help of Epona), as the man will always arrive (or so he says) one second prior to Link's arrival. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker It is heavily implied that a member of the Rito tribe, Koboli, is a descendant of either the Running Man of Ocarina of Time or the Postman of Majora's Mask. This is due to the obvious similarities in facial appearance, as well as their occupation; the text from the Nintendo Gallery explicitly states that he belongs to a family that has been of the profession for generations. Non-canonical appearances Super Smash Bros. Brawl The Postman is featured in two stickers. One sticker depicts the Postman from Majora's Mask and gives a +3 bonus to direct special attacks. The other depicts the Postman from Twilight Princess and gives a +11 bonus to leg attacks. Both are useable on all characters. See also * Running Man * Quill Gallery File:Postman (Oracle of Ages).png|Artwork of the Postman from Oracle of Ages Category:Humans Category:Hylians Category:Bombers' Notebook Category:The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask characters Category:The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages characters Category:The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap characters Category:The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess characters Category:The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass characters Category:The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks characters